Melksham Rotary gives over £9,000 to community groups

MELKSHAM Rotary Club recently held its biannual cheque presentation evening where over  £9,000 in grants was presented to a number of local groups.

21 charities and organisations benefitted from the charity initiative, which sees money raised through the Art House Cafe and redistributed in the community.

During the presentation evening, new club president Verly Ives presented Tessa Missen with the Paul Harris Fellowship award, which is a Rotary award for extraordinary people who have made a difference to their community.  Tessa has been the volunteer coordinator since the café started but has now retired from the role, which has been taken over by Judy Swindlehurst.

Big thanks was also given to Pattie Lockett who coordinates all the art which changes each month.  Pattie gives up her time to ensure that the café has interesting walls in the cafe and helps promote the local artists.  It is unusual to have local art available like this and the Rotary Club expressed their gratitude to Pattie for arranging it.